Gael Spotlight | Remi Prieur - SMC California Athletics

The Concentric Wealth Management Gael Spotlight is a monthly Q&A by SMCGaels.com with a Saint Mary's student-athlete to get to know our Gaels more closely.

MORAGA, Calif. — SMCGaels.com sat down this month with men's soccer goalkeeper Remi Prieur to learn more about his history with soccer and outlook on the team. Prieur was named WCC Goalkeeper of the Year last year in addition to being named an All-American and set several program records during the team's magical 18-0-2 season.

Q: What brought you to Saint Mary's?

RP: When I was playing academy soccer in high school I had some older teammates that went to Saint Mary's to play soccer. They really opened up the option for me to be able to go to the college. Once I looked into it, had conversations with the coaching staff and visited the campus, I really could see myself attending the college. Also, growing up in San Ramon, just 20 min away from Saint Mary's, it was a no brainer to be so close to my family and friends to where they could come watch me play for the next five years.

Q: The Gaels are having another terrific year after posting the program's best ever season last year with an 18-0-2 record. What similarities and differences do you see between the two teams?

RP: I think in terms of our mentality and work rate, we are a very similar team. During both seasons, we set both season long and individual game goals. This allows us to make sure that we are always on track to achieve team success. I think that the biggest difference from this year to last would be that we are not considered to be the underdogs. I think we put our name out in the college soccer world last year. Everyone is going to want to beat the team that 'went unbeaten' last year, forcing us to bring our a-game every day.

Q: After last year's run to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament, do you think your team felt pressure to repeat their success this year?

RP: I don't think that many people felt pressured at all this year. I know I can speak for most of the guys by saying that last year was arguably one off the most enjoyable and thrilling year of soccer most of us have played. I believe this feeling fed into this years current success, where we all want to be able to experience that winning and make another run in the NCAA tournament.

Q: As a redshirt senior, how have you seen the men's soccer program progress since you first arrived on campus?

RP: I think that we have progressed to a point where we can consistently step out on the pitch and piece together full 90 minute games. During my first few years at Saint Mary's, we would lose or tie games that we arguably should have won due to simple mistakes. There has also been a core group of guys that have been starting in games since they were freshmen, so I think the program has definitely matured in terms of experience since I first joined the program.

Q: How did you get into soccer and more specifically, how did you become a goalkeeper?

RP: As a typical young kid, I played many different sports like baseball, swimming, basketball. However, once I got into junior high school, I had to make a decision to dedicate my time and focus to one sport -- that being soccer. The reason for this was simply because I was not so great at the other sports I was playing. One game, when I was about nine years old, the coach asked around if anyone wanted to be the goalkeeper for the game. I decided to volunteer and really enjoyed being able to dive around and get dirty. I then learned about the tactical side of the position where I saw myself grow into the player I am today.

Q: What has been your favorite soccer memory in your college career?

RP: I have two favorite moments in my time at Saint Mary's. The first being winning the WCC Championship at home. This was very special to myself and the team because it was the first time that the team was rewarded for all of the hard work and dedication we have put in throughout the year. The second, and probably the best soccer memory I have while being at Saint Mary's, would be the NCAA tournament game at home versus Stanford. Although we ended up falling short in penalty kicks, the atmosphere that there was in the stadium was truly electric. Having a packed Saint Mary's Stadium cheering us on in our attempt to make a deep run in the tournament saw us play one of the better matches we had throughout the year.

Schedule

Gael Spotlight | Remi Prieur

Players Mentioned

Remi Prieur

GAELS IN THE PROS

CHAMPIONS

HALL OF FAME

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